The United States
The US led the world in steel production by 1900, and Germany was the second-leading producer. In the first decade of the 1900s, US steel production was approaching 20 million metric tons annually, and Germany passed 10 million metric tons annually in the middle of that decade.
Today, the US and Germany are no longer the world's leading steel producers. In 2017, China led the world by a massive amount, producing almost 832 metric tons of steel -- nearly half of the world's total steel production. Japan and India each produced around 100 metric tons. The United States was the fourth-leading producer, at 82 metric tons. Germany was in 7th place, producing 44 metric tons.